PM Modi praises honey production practices in Dakshina Kannada and Tumakuru

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the efforts by two organisations Puttur and Tumakuru in Karnataka in honey production.

In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address, the PM said  some of the organisations work hard to produce honey without harming nature.

“In Puttur, Dakshina Kannada district, the vegetation there is considered excellent for honey production. Here, a farmers' organization named 'Gramjanya' is lending a new direction to this gift of nature,” he said.

“'Gramjanya' has set up a modern processing unit… a lab, bottling, storage, and digital tracking facilities like these have been added. Now, this very honey as a branded product is reaching cities from the countryside. More than two and a half thousand farmers have benefited from this endeavour,” the PM said.

The PM said an effort by 'Shivganga Kalanjiya' in Tumkuru district of Karnataka was also commendable. “Each member is initially provided with two bee-boxes. By doing so, this organization has connected many farmers to its campaign. Now, the farmers associated with this organization jointly extract honey, package it well and deliver it to the local market. This is also earning them lakhs,” the PM said.

A similar example is that of cliff-honey hunting in Nagaland. The Khiamni-Yangan tribe in Choklangan village of Nagaland has been engaged in honey extraction for centuries. There, bees build their dwellings not on trees but on high cliffs.

The PM said in Jammu and Kashmir, honeybees produce a unique honey from wild basil, also known as Sulai. This honey, white in colour, is called Ramban Sulai honey. A few years ago, Ramban Sulai honey received the GI tag.

Modi noted that India is setting new records in honey production with 1.5 lakh tonnes in a year now compared to 76,000 tonnes 11 years ago. Honey exports have also risen more than three-fold during the last few years. Under the Honey Mission programme, Khadi Gramodyog has also distributed more than 2.25 lakh bee-boxes amongst the people.

“This has provided new employment opportunities to thousands of people…that is, the sweetness of the honey is increasing in myriad corners of the country. And this sweetness is also increasing the income of the farmers,” he said.